could be that 2014 was just an option, which automatically clicked now with its terms coming true, for example entering the last races of 2012 being in the WDC lead?

It was reported it had something to do with WDC standings after Monaco 2013 something like if he was outside top three after that race he was free to go? Anyway, given that Ferrari paid Räikkönen $20 million NOT to drive for them... why wouldn't they pay a transfer fee for someone like Vettel if they have an agreed contract? He'll probably just defer the move to 2015 if not. If he wins a few more titles up until then Ferrari wouldn't listen to Alonso's opinion at all by then... I already sense Alonso is losing power within the Ferrari camp.

Vettel won't even consider a move until Newey leaves Red Bull. He could do to Schumacher what Federer did to Sampras and and completely outshine one of the greatest of all time. if Newey designs another rocketship in 2014 he could potentially be eyeing up a 5th world title in 2014.... scary thought :/

Vettel won't even consider a move until Newey leaves Red Bull. He could do to Schumacher what Federer did to Sampras and and completely outshine one of the greatest of all time. if Newey designs another rocketship in 2014 he could potentially be eyeing up a 5th world title in 2014.... scary thought :/

Michael Schumacher, Pino Allievi and Will Buxton seem to think otherwise. One lives on the hope. If you take Vettel out it'll take quite a lot for them to find an equal driver there - especially since Alonso is not available and Hamilton loves his money (for now).

Michael Schumacher, Pino Allievi and Will Buxton seem to think otherwise. One lives on the hope. If you take Vettel out it'll take quite a lot for them to find an equal driver there - especially since Alonso is not available and Hamilton loves his money (for now).

What? Lewis signed for less money at Mercedes that he could have gotten from McLaren.

Also, his management talked to RBR but they were not interested. If Vettel indeed bolts, that decision by RBR to not entertain talks with LH will hurt.

Not really, not him directly, but I think Dr. Marko has on his behalf very recently (when he claimed they have lock on 2014 contract with him).

__________________

I guess that subject might have come up in the form of internal consultation how to handle this issue from PR point of view, since silence fuelled rumours even more, and Marko simply said - don't worry, I take care of it. Unfortunately in the process he might have contradicted his previous (and old) statements to the media regarding performance clause.

Q: (Dan Knutson - Honorary) Seb, there's been all the stories on the internet about you and Ferrari. Could you set the record straight please: is there any arrangement, agreement, talk between you and your people and Ferrari? SV: This could be quite funny now, what I say... No, there's nothing, nothing to tell you, nothing I've signed. Nothing has changed. It's quite amusing. I don't know where it came from but... I don't read much, so it's quite a surprise when you get to the circuit and get all these questions. Nothing to report. As I said, I can't be happier at the moment, I'm very happy with... Actually, there's one thing I would like to say about this. As I said, there's no reason to write anything or report anything but obviously, as I said earlier, you don't know every single one in the team, and it's hard to speak to every single one, so if there's - sorry to say - some bullshit in the press, obviously there might be some concerns back in the factory, but I'm 100 percent behind them as I feel they're 100 percent behind me and therefore I want to get this straight: there's nothing to report and I'm very happy at Red Bull Racing.

Q: (Dan Knutson - Honorary) Seb, there's been all the stories on the internet about you and Ferrari. Could you set the record straight please: is there any arrangement, agreement, talk between you and your people and Ferrari? SV: This could be quite funny now, what I say... No, there's nothing, nothing to tell you, nothing I've signed. Nothing has changed. It's quite amusing. I don't know where it came from but... I don't read much, so it's quite a surprise when you get to the circuit and get all these questions. Nothing to report. As I said, I can't be happier at the moment, I'm very happy with... Actually, there's one thing I would like to say about this. As I said, there's no reason to write anything or report anything but obviously, as I said earlier, you don't know every single one in the team, and it's hard to speak to every single one, so if there's - sorry to say - some bullshit in the press, obviously there might be some concerns back in the factory, but I'm 100 percent behind them as I feel they're 100 percent behind me and therefore I want to get this straight: there's nothing to report and I'm very happy at Red Bull Racing.

I love Seb, I am rooting for him, I will move with him wherever he transfers and that includes HRT, but here he is killing me with his long answers, because half of the world now believes he has tried to cover up. Why he couldn't say simply no, I am not interested? He has messed up the whole thing, whatever the truth is.

Ferrari has ruled out the prospect of a 'dream team' line-up of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.

The Italian outfit has made no secret of the fact that Vettel is a driver that it is interested in for the future when Alonso retires, but there has been speculation that the Formula 1 world champion could do a deal even sooner and race alongside the Spaniard.

Speaking at Ferrari's Wrooom media event at Madonna di Campiglio in Italy on Wednesday, team principal Stefano Domenicali reckoned having two top talents like Alonso and Vettel would not necessarily be a good thing.

"We have always said, and I think that the president [Luca di Montezemolo] also declared, that a dream team is something extraordinary if it is well managed and if things work well," he said about the prospects of Vettel being signed as a future team-mate of Alonso.

"For now, I think that this is not our goal. We have to maximise the balance of our performance of the team. We must be very careful.

"It is not just in F1 because it is true also in the world of sport. If you put all the number ones together around the table it can be more damaging than positive. So for the time being, this is not our goal."

Unfortunately there are several similar Vettel/Ferrari threads, I picked this one at random.

Enter "Vettel will never earn my respect if he doesn't team up with Alonso."

Vettel cannot do it alone, but if Alonso would find in himself inner strenght, he could talk to LdM, agreeing to take Vettel on on equal footing. Sebastian would be initially in disadvantage because Ferrari is notoriously a stubborn horse to drive in certain times (as we heard when Michael was there), moreover, it was also designed around Alonso's style (so I presume).

Vettel cannot do it alone, but if Alonso would find in himself inner strenght, he could talk to LdM, agreeing to take Vettel on on equal footing. Sebastian would be initially in disadvantage because Ferrari is notoriously a stubborn horse to drive in certain times (as we heard when Michael was there), moreover, it was also designed around Alonso's style (so I presume).

Actually, that is my hope if Vettel wins the 2013WDC: that Alonso, utterly pissed off and humiliated by Vettel's WDCs, will talk LdM into signing Vettel - to show everyone that he's supposedly better than the 4xWDC, that he's "the man."

Alonso-Vettel in Ferrari is my dream team, but not because they're my favorite drivers. I would so enjoy the drama that would follow.

Honestly, Vettel joining Ferrari is not a question of what Alonso, Santander or Ferrari want but rather of what Vettel wants. Leaving Red Bull at its current form to join Alonso in Ferrari at their current form is a very unlikely decision for Vettel to make. I think he will rather stay at Red Bull with his Newey car and Webber as his no. 2

This isn't even in Ferrari's hands. In their continued arrogant fashion, they respond as if it is.

Um, what are they supposed to say when they're asked about Vettel? "We aren't good enough for Vettel?" "It all depends on Vettel?" Never. Ferrari would never say anything like that. Arrogant? Maybe. But come on, it's Ferrari. Red car and all.

Um, what are they supposed to say when they're asked about Vettel? "We aren't good enough for Vettel?" "It all depends on Vettel?" Never. Ferrari would never say anything like that. Arrogant? Maybe. But come on, it's Ferrari. Red car and all.

I fully agree. They are Ferrari. Also they have already a strong cock there and are arguably right that they don't need another rooster. They first concern will be rightly to put better cars in the hand of their current drivers.

"We have always said, and I think that the president [Luca di Montezemolo] also declared, that a dream team is something extraordinary if it is well managed and if things work well," he said about the prospects of Vettel being signed as a future team-mate of Alonso.

"For now, I think that this is not our goal. We have to maximise the balance of our performance of the team. We must be very careful".

So Ferrari is saying that they actually want a dream team but not now. But when? Not in 2013, that we know but what about 2014 or beyond?

Anyway, what could they say? That they want Vettel to team up with Alonso as soon as possible? I don't think so!

They were asked if Vettel would be coming in 2014. The appropriate answer is: "No."

"We aren't good enough for Vettel?" "It all depends on Vettel?" Never. Ferrari would never say anything like that. Arrogant? Maybe. But come on, it's Ferrari. Red car and all.

They don't have to say anything at all except "No."

You don't need to be a pragmatist or cynic to believe that Ferrari aided and abetted Massa's subjugation and largely lackluster performance from Germany 2010 to just before the end of the 2012 season. And if you so believe, it is not only arrogant for Ferrari to insinuate that it holds all the cards regarding Vettel, but shamefully disingenuous to do so using Massa's supposed resurgence as the purported reason.

Ferrari do not have two very strong driver policy. Moreover, Alonso would not want Vettel as a teammate. He is happy now as everyone is working for his success in the team. However, we may well see Lewis and Vettel together as teammates in Red Bull or McLaren.

Although I would like to see Vettel and Alonso paired at Ferrari, I can't see Vettel moving to Ferrari without Newey. I can't blame him for that. Personally I think Hulkenburg should be Alonso's team mate at Ferrari in 2014, so they can prime him up for when Alonso retires.

I think you're spot on. Benson and Legard seem to agree with you:Ferrari insiders now say Vettel, who narrowly beat Alonso to the F1 title in 2010 and 2012, will definitely not join the Italian team in 2014, but would not rule out him moving there for 2015.

If Vettel and RBR are still winning I would be very surprised to see Vettel move. And as RBR looks to be the best run team in F1 at the moment, I expect to see them keep on winning. So I would be very surprised to see Vettel move to Ferrari.

This isn't even in Ferrari's hands. In their continued arrogant fashion, they respond as if it is.

Vettel's the one who said he'd like to drive for Ferrari one day. With all the rumors and comments by Ferrari, its hard to think there weren't some sort of discussions that went on. Only the two parties will know the details. We can speculate, but to presume you know what the deal is is arrogant.

I'm not surprised. I have never believed that Alonso would be agreeable to having another #1 driver with him at Ferrari. Hamilton, Seb, Kimi, even Button - not going to happen. But the floating idea that Ferrari would be willing to try it - and that it is only Alonso stopping them - is equally far fetched to me. It isn't Alonso's way, but it also isn't the Ferrari way, so let's be real; this is a pipedream from every angle. Vettel going there while Alonso was there was never a possibility - that whole 2014 thing was nothing more than a failed distraction tatic by Ferrari, imo.